Jeff Sessions goes in a wrong direction on marijuana

Kyle Warner

Sessions himself has done so on countless occasions, such as when he rescinded the Obama administration policy interpreting federal law to protect transgender students.

In a second statement on Monday, Lelling noted "this is a straightforward rule of law issue" and that Congress has "unambiguously made it a federal crime to cultivate, distribute and/or possess marijuana".

In 2017, Washington state pulled in just shy of $315 million in revenue from marijuana excise taxes, according to the Liquor and Cannabis Board. It looks like this year he's looking to further stir the pot with his Cole memo rescindment. More than 10,000 Pennsylvanians have notified the state that they would like to get medical marijuana.

Also last week, Sessions announced the appointment of Dayle Elieson of Texas to come to Nevada to serve as interim USA attorney.

Also yesterday, Bennett said the exit of a major debit card payment processor from the MA medical marijuana industry could set up a safety risk for dispensaries that are now forced to only accept cash.

In New Jersey, which already has legal medical marijuana, Gov. -elect Phil Murphy will be sworn into office next week after campaigning a year ago on a promise to fully legalize the drug for recreational use.

However, last week's announcement by the DOJ directs federal prosecutors to make determinations whether to prosecute marijuana-related criminal offenses based upon the DOJ's guidelines that were in existence prior to the Cole Memorandum and reminds the marijuana community that marijuana remains a Schedule I Controlled Substance, illegal under federal law. "The real ramifications of this will be in states that have legalized marijuana for recreational use". Both involve the federal government.

The bill, signed into law by Governor Jim Justice on April 19, allows for people with chronic or debilitating diseases to receive medical marijuana.

Asked during a January 4 press conference about Sessions' announcement, Governor Hutchinson said he believes the DOJ and Sessions should distinguish between medical and recreational use when it comes to federal enforcement of existing laws. "President Trump has recognized medical marijuana as an appropriate exception to federal enforcement policy", Hutchinson said, "but he's not said the same thing about recreational use".

Legalization has already had a profound impact on the economies of several states.

Like so much else in this country, the marijuana debate needs more facts and less of the kind of outmoded, politically driven and scientifically deficient mentality Mr. Sessions has brought to the issue. According to Federal Bureau of Investigation statistics, 693,482 individuals in the United States were arrested in 2013 and charged with marijuana violations, and of these, 609,423, or 88 percent, were arrested for simple possession. In October, a Gallup poll reported that 64 percent of Americans, including 51 percent of Republicans, now favor legalizing marijuana.

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